In Sunday’s (10/17) Los Angeles Times, Deborah Vankin writes, “The beast lives. And it turns out it’s wired with a 5.1 surround sound system and high-speed Ethernet connectivity to boot. California Institute of the Arts’ long-awaited state-of-the-art performance space, the Wild Beast, is up and running, ‘humming from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with classes and performances,’ says David Rosenboom, dean of the institute’s Herb Alpert School of Music. Designed by architects Craig Hodgetts and Ming Fung, the building is cutting-edge in design and functionality. It can be used for classes, rehearsals, recitals or professional shows—for anywhere from a dozen students to 1,000 audience members, depending on how it’s configured. The $4-million construction cost was made possible largely through private donations. … Its inaugural concert season kicks off Saturday with the first of an open-air, four-concert series. The programs cover various musical genres, including classical, opera, jazz and percussion ensemble—in its way mimicking CalArts founder Walt Disney’s original vision for the Valencia school—artistic diversity and a commingling of all the arts under one roof.”
Posted October 18, 2010
